Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

An exhaust gas turbine (30) for expanding exhaust gas, comprising a turbine housing (33) having an inflow housing portion (35) for exhaust gas to be expanded and an outflow housing portion (36) for expanded exhaust gas, a turbine rotor (34) received by the turbine housing (33), the turbine rotor (34) being rotatable about an axis of rotation, a metering means (42) for a reducing agent or a precursor substance of a reducing agent, wherein the reducing agent or the precursor substance can be introduced into the expanded exhaust gas via the metering device (42), and with a swirl atomizer (43), rotating together with the turbine rotor (34), for the reducing agent or the precursor substance, the reducing agent or the precursor substance being atomizable in the expanded exhaust gas via the swirl atomizer (43), the swirl atomizer (43) engaging the turbine rotor (34) at a downstream, hub-side portion of the turbine rotor (34). Downstream of the turbine rotor (34) in extension of the axis of rotation of the turbine rotor (34), an impingement body (44) is arranged for the reducing agent or the precursor substance introduced into the exhaust gas and atomized, wherein a distance of the impingement body (44) from the swirl atomizer (43) corresponds to at most 7 times a diameter of the turbine rotor (34).

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

A bubble formation apparatus (500) includes: a rotor (100); a container (200) in which the rotor (100) is housed together with a liquid (LQ) and a gas (GS); and a rotary device (300) that causes rotation of the rotor (100) with the rotor (100) being pressed against an inner lower surface (221) that is the inner surface of the container (200). A bubble is formed by periodically repeating pressurization and depressurization of a mixture of the gas (GS) and the liquid (LQ) in a gap between the inner lower surface (221) and a portion, pressed against the inner lower surface (221), of the rotor (100) due to the rotation of the rotor (100) by the rotary device (300).

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

A beverage mixing system/method allowing faster mixing/blending of frozen beverages is disclosed. The system/method in various embodiments utilizes inductive coupling to introduce heat into the frozen beverage during the mixing/blending process via a rotating driveshaft and attached mechanical agitator to speed the mixing/blending process. Exemplary embodiments may be configured to magnetically induce heat into the driveshaft and/or mechanical agitator mixing blade to affect this mixing/blending performance improvement. This heating effect may be augmented via the use of high power LED arrays aimed into the frozen slurry to provide additional heat input. The system/method may be applied with particular advantage to the mixing of ice cream type beverages and other viscous beverage products.

A method of forming a composite material includes mixing granules of thermoplastic(s) and granules of reinforcing material(s) using a mixer with an interior friction coating. The friction generated by interaction between the granules and friction coating causes granules of at least one of the thermoplastic(s) to be heated to a liquid or semi-liquid state. The liquid/semi-liquid thermoplastic(s) act a binder for the mixed material. A system for forming such a composite material includes such a mixer with an interior friction coating. The system may also include a mould and/or a press for forming material produced by the mixer into a finished shape. The method and system may use post-consumer and post-industrial material as an input allowing such material to be recycled. In some cases, cross-contaminated or mixed post-consumer/post-industrial material may be recycled, potentially reducing environmental impacts.

Systems and methods have demonstrated the capability of rapidly cooling the contents of pods containing the ingredients for food and drinks.

Provided are a refractory article, an anti-redox coating composition, and a method of manufacturing the refractory article. The refractory article includes: a platinum (Pt)-based substrate; and a coating layer for preventing a redox reaction on a surface of the Pt-based substrate, wherein the coating layer for preventing a redox reaction includes on an oxide basis SiO.sub.2 in an amount of about 40 wt % to about 70 wt %, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount of about 20 wt % to about 52 wt %, B.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount of about 3 wt % to about 6 wt %; and CaO in an amount of about 2.4 wt % to about 4.8 wt %.